Aileron movement severe restriction

[n502pd]

This I consider a safty of flight issue, because if I had not identified it prior to start, following a not so smoothe landing, I would have been is a great big world of caca. That last landing was including a smallish bounce, and was followed be a very normal roll out, parking and shutdown. Thirty min later, I climbed back in, strapped down, and sturred the stick per habit. That is when I very quickly noticed that the stick was severely restricted in the 'to the right' movement, ie, could not roll at all to the right if flying. Now what happened, I thought and was visuallizing the internals of the wings. Left roll was normal, so something has jambed the right aileron. I was tought to not necessairly force the issue, as if something was broken I might make it worse, if I was in the air. I wasnt. Returned to the hanger and found by thumping the wing tip end, that something was loose inside. LH tip, nothing, no noise. No matter what I did, I could not make the rh aileron go up. Finally, I was able to see into the tip of the wing, in the vacinity of the lead counterweight, which I had thought had come loose. I found a very large, monstrous sized, very hard mud daubers nest, maybe 6-8 in long and 3 in dia, lodged beneith the counterweight, causing the restriction! Very alarming, to say the least!. It appairently was jarred loose durring that last landing from further forward in the wing tip. I surely would have been in really deep do-do if this had happened durring any phase of flight. I could not get any part of the nest out via the small holes in the rear spar. so, here is what I did, and make the suggestion that others take heed, if they so choose, and do some sort of a visual inspection port for preflight.

I measured an area at the aft end of the fiberglass tips on both wings, about 6-8 ion long, and about 3 in at the aft and 5 in at the fore end to make a trapazodial opening just smaller than the swing area of the counterweight. I cleaned out the nest, and sparyed the interior with wd-40 to prevent more nests adhering. I then used nutplates and a clear lexan cover to close the hole. Now I have a great preflight look-see into a previously, totally inaccessable area, to ensure no restrictions are present. That area of the airframe, with a very critical moving component out of visual inspection, can not be seen, at any time. The wd40 application in this area is indeed added to the inspection list.

I highly recommend that others think about this senario, as I am not so sure I would be writting this if that nest had broken loose prior to the landing, elliminating any right hand roll control.

Pictures on request. PM me if needed.

Above all else,I consider myself a very live...careful?... chicken, and still have all my tail feathers intact!

Fly safe! And a very Merry Christmas to all, and Happy New Year!

[Rynoth]

Wow Joe, that's scary, and a good wake-up call for everyone to ALWAYS check your flight controls before every takeoff. Glad you found that problem prior to flight, it was as unlikely as it was dangerous.

[WesRagle]

Hi Joe,

I'm about 100 miles south west of you. I'm building a Onex and will be hangared in Mineral Wells. I just drilled the BIG Onex wing tips in place and there is a hole the same size as the aileron at the trailing edge of the wing tip. The plans specifically say "no close out rib". I can't help but worry about dirt daubers. I can imagine my empty weight going up by a pound a year.

Humm....

Wes

[GraemeSmith]

Perhaps a variation on a fabric aileron gap seal? But a circle of cloth attached to the rib with a small hole that the rod passes through. Make the cloth out of some kind of fabric reinforced plastic like banner material.

[n502pd]

Thanks for the idea, but the problem isnt at the push rod hole, altho that is just another place for the little buggers to enter. I had the problem at the wing tip, where the aileron counterweight resides, and there is quite a different arraingment of mechanical movement, not just in and out. If the blockage was at the pushrod hole, I dont think I would have had much of a problem crushing the dauber nest, as the rod mechanism is quite strong. the counterweight is at the outer end of the aileron, and when the rod is forced out, with the counterweight blocked, I would guess the aileron would twist some, and maybe even go so far as to cause damage to the hing. Also, the shape of the hole at the tip for the weight is rectangular, and has the weight arm moving not just in and out a bit, but up and down.Further, I am of the mind set to not really want anything extra attached to flight controls, which may or may not cause future problems. I had thought of some sort of cover for that hole, but a viewing window seened way less complicated, and stayed away from adding stuff to a flight control.The window is quickly removable should the need arrise to do a removal of a nest. Others may not feel that way. Its just my approach. Still, thanks for the replys!

[WesRagle]

Perhaps a variation on a fabric aileron gap seal? But a circle of cloth attached to the rib with a small hole that the rod passes through. Make the cloth out of some kind of fabric reinforced plastic like banner material.

Hey Graeme,

Might work for me though. Could you point me to something to read, a web site, or something to get me thinking?

Thanks,

Wes